This morning we rewarded ourselves after our hike with a 4:15am wake up call. We caught a shuttle to the Cusco airport at 4:45 to fly out to Lima.
Our flight was delayed out of Cusco but we didn't entirely mind since we got to enjoy the luxury of sit down, flushing toilets. What a treat.
While we were on the flight to Lima, we realized we would have a tremendously tight connection to make our flight to Iquitos, and we were also bunched together in the very last row of the plane. The flight attendants saved our butts (see below) by moving us to empty seats in rows 1 and 4.
When we landed in Lima, our Iquitos flight was already boarding so we hustled to the gate, prepared to kiss our checked bags goodbye for the time being. Unfortunately the Lima airport defies logic, so even domestic transfers required us to leave the secured area, go through baggage claim, and then go back through security to get to the gate - which was located about 50 meters from where our Cusco plane landed. Still, after a lot of running we made it on to our flight with minutes to spare. We were one of two lanes at the small Iquitos International Airport (you read that right - International) and we deplaned and walked across the Tarmac to get to the baggage claim area. When we got to Iquitos, we learned that our bags also, miraculously, made the connection as well.
We were met by a representative from the Nativa Apartments hotel where we are staying and driven to the hotel, through some truly frightening traffic, adventurous driving, and a maze of rickshaw/motorcycle hybrids called Motokars.
After checking into our rooms we had a makeshift picnic lunch in Adam and Frank's room, and then relaxed with a mediocre at best movie (sorry, Adam).
Then we ventured out into Iquitos. It's the biggest city in the world that cannot be reached by land - train or car. We wandered though Iquitos's Plaza de Armas, ran into a parade for the pharmacy school, and saw the sights of the city.
We even saw the famous iron-wrought building made by Gustave Eiffel - yes, that Gustave Eiffel.
Iquitos is one of the strangest places I've ever been to. It's a city that boomed in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and mug of it that we saw looks like it hasn't changed since the 1950s. With the scenery, climate, and atmosphere, it's hard to believe we are in the same country still!
That said, we had a fun walk around the city and caught our first glimpse of the Amazon.
After the first half of our walk, we made it to our dinner spot at the Amazon Bidtro, but found out the chef was out until six. We walked around a bit more and found Simon a pair of replacement sunglasses before returning to the bistro.
There, Adam and I finally enjoyed a Cusquena beer. A really massive Cusquena beer.
At the restaurant, Erika and Adam slowly rediscovered their Spanish while Simon continued to entertain the Peruvian waiter and waitress community with his failed attempts.
By the end of the night, the gringos had rubbed off on the place to them point that they put on Pawn Stars on history channel in Spanish for us - perhaps to educate us, but who knows.
We are off to the Amazon jungle tomorrow and won't have Internet there but we'll check back in on Sunday night.
Peace!
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